Better Than Ice Cream
by LadyforAsh
Summary: I wrote this bg fic after hearing the song by Sarah Mclaughlan. Buffy faces her feelings, but how will she tell the man she loves?


Title: Better Than Ice Cream  
  
Rated: PG  
  
Pairing: B/G  
  
Spoilers: Everything...It's set after the Series Finale, so all and everything  
  
is fair game.  
  
Disclaimers: Nothing belongs to me. It's all Joss' and ME, so please don't  
  
sue. I'm just having some fun.  
  
Notes: I heard the song "Ice Cream" by Sarah Mclachlan  
  
and was inspired to write this little story.  
  
Feedback: Please oh Please! :)  
  
It was a few days after they had defeated the First, and Sunnydale had been turned into a crater of Earth. They took the bus and just drove for awhile, finally stopping at the first decent size town they found. Robin Wood needed to go to the hospital, as did many of the no longer "potential" slayers, but real live slayers, due to Willow's spell. Giles parked and abandoned the school bus at a grade school a few blocks down from the hospital. He went to a bank and had funds wired to him, to use at their disposal for now. They had to  
  
figure out what they would all do, and where they would all go.  
  
Faith had said she needed sleep. They all did. The decision was made to rent out a big house near the hospital. It used to be a bed and breakfast, and was perfect for their needs for now.  
  
It was several days later now. Some decisions had been made. Most of the new slayers were returning home, those who had homes to go to. They left just yesterday from the small airport in town. Angel and his friends had helped with some travel arrangements, and the slayers that really had nowhere to go went to stay with him in LA.  
  
Xander, Andrew, Willow and Dawn were exhausted and were already asleep in their rooms. Xander and Andrew had to share a room, much to Xander's chagrin. Thank goodness there were bunk beds in that room! Willow, Buffy and Dawn were all sharing a room, and Giles would be sharing a room with Wood once he got out of the hospital. Faith was taking the sofa bed in the tv room. Currently she was visiting Wood in the hospital.  
  
Buffy was too wired to sleep. She still couldn't believe that she was no longer "the Chosen One". She was basically free now, if she wanted to be. She could do whatever it was she wanted. All the thoughts were making her head spin. Giles had emerged from his room hungry, and decided to go out for an ice cream run. He knew Buffy liked her ice cream.  
  
"There is absolutely nothing better than ice cream!" she exclaimed as he served her a bowl full. He smiled and joined her on the couch. They sat in silence for a bit, just enjoying the ice cream, and lost in their own thoughts. Finally Giles broke the silence.  
  
"I guess I owe you an apology. It seems you were right about Spike." Neither looked up from their bowls.  
  
Buffy sighed. "Let's not talk about it. That's all in the past. We've both  
  
said and did things in the past that we shouldn't have...that we regret. Let's just start fresh, okay?" She then turned a small smile towards him.  
  
He placed his now empty bowl on the coffee table and took off his glasses, proceeding to wipe them with his handkerchief. "Buffy, I just hope you know that I always tried to do right by you. Always. I am proud of you, you know? It matters to me that you know that."  
  
"Giles, I appreciate that, but...."  
  
"But?"  
  
"It's hard for me, Giles. You left, and you said it was so that I wouldn't  
  
lean on you. That I would make decisions on my own and be responsible. So I had to do just that, I was forced to do just that. And then you show up and start ordering me around just like I was that little girl again. All of a sudden my decisions were wrong? You basically abandoned me, yet think that when you return it would be like it was before."  
  
Giles wasn't sure what to say to that. He thought they were passed that, but obviously he was wrong. He placed his glasses back on his face, and returned the handkerchief.  
  
"I regret many things in my life, Buffy. Hurting you most of all. But I want you to know I never abandoned you. I might not have been here physically, but I never abandoned you."  
  
"You left Giles. That's all I know."  
  
She gathered up their bowls and took them to the kitchen, running water in them and leaving them in the sink.  
  
"What happened to us starting fresh?" he softly asked her.  
  
She didn't turn around, but just stared sadly out the window. How could she tell him that she was scared? She was scared of losing him again. All the men in her life that she cared about left her. First her father, and then Angel. Even Riley had left her, although she hardly could place them in the same category. She loved him, in a way, just like she loved Spike, in a way. But she wasn't in love with them. Not like she was in love with Giles. She had figured it out right before he left her. And then when he returned to stop Willow, she had hoped that they could be more to each other than just watcher and slayer, and even more than friends. But he had taken Willow to rehabilitation, and didn't show up again until he had a handful of potentials  
  
in tow. And then with the First, things had just not gone well. She  
  
regretted slamming the door in his face, but she had felt betrayed by him. He had not trusted her in her decision and resolve that Spike was needed in the battle. She had been proven right, but the victory against Giles was bitter. She wanted to just run into his open arms, but she was afraid he'd leave her again, and this time he would never come back.  
  
She was so still and contemplative that Giles began to be really disturbed. He was about to ask her again when she turned.  
  
"I'm tired, Giles. Can we talk about this another time?"  
  
He did see the strain on her face. "Certainly. I'll see you tomorrow then." He turned and walked down the hall, shutting the door to his room.  
  
"Why don't you just tell him, B?" Faith approached Buffy from the darkened entrance hall.  
  
"Long enough to know that you screwed it up again."  
  
"I don't know what you are talking about." Buffy pushed passed her and headed towards her room. But Faith caught her arm and turned her to face her head on. "Buffy, it's obvious how he feels about you. We've all seen it. And I know you are tore up about him. You need to tell him."  
  
Buffy just blinked at her.  
  
"I see that look in your eyes. You and I, we are linked. We've shared the slaying for a long time, and we've even shared dreams. I know you are scared. You are scared you'll lose him. But I know that if you tell him how you feel, you won't lose him."  
  
Buffy couldn't look Faith in the face. "I've lost everyone I love, Faith. My father left me, then Angel. Even Riley, although I didn't love him, not really. I'm afraid that if I love Giles, if he knows I love him, that he'll leave. It's like my love is poison or something."  
  
"Spike never left you."  
  
"Yes, but I wasn't in love with Spike."  
  
"And you are in love with Giles." It was a statement, and not a question.  
  
Buffy turned and sat down again on the sofa, and held her face in her hands. "Yes. I guess I am. But I don't know how to tell him. I doubt he would believe me after everything I've said and done anyway."  
  
"Then we have to form the perfect way to tell him, B! And I know just the ticket." She sat down beside her on the sofa, excitement on her face.  
  
"What are you talking about? And why do you care so much anyway?"  
  
Faith got serious for a moment. "I know I screwed up big time in the past, B. I guess I just want to make it up to you. And it's obvious that you and British guy are meant to be together. I just want to amend some of my past ways with you I guess. Truly selfish of me, I know."  
  
They both giggled at that.  
  
"So, how do I tell him so he believes me?"  
  
"How is your singing voice?" Faith asked.  
  
"My singing voice? What?"  
  
"Yeah, your singing voice? It must not suck, because Xander told me about the singing demon last year, and if you had sucked I'm sure he would still be teasing you senseless right now."  
  
Buffy was wary of Faith, but she decided that she would do almost anything to have Giles return her love. And she had a feeling about Faith. The girl was right. They were connected, and Buffy could feel that Faith did care.  
  
"See, it's like this B. I think Giles needs a grand gesture on your part.  
  
You've treated him pretty shabbily over the years." Buffy frowned at that, although she had to admit Faith was right. "So the way I see it, you have some big time making up to do. And this little conversation I witnessed tonight didn't help any."  
  
Buffy agreed for the most part. "So what is your plan?"  
  
"I noticed down the street there is a nice Karaoke type bar, kind of like the Bronze. We all meet there tomorrow night, and you pick out the perfect song that expresses how you feel, and you dedicate it to Giles and sing your voice out to him. With all those people around, he'll know you're serious. Course, the song you pick will be imperative. We might need to research that a bit."  
  
Buffy was silent. She already knew the perfect song. It would truly be  
  
fitting after tonight.  
  
Buffy stood up. It was now or never, she decided. With everything that was happening, her future was now. She needed to seize the moment. If she lost, at least she would know that she told him her true feelings. He would leave her with the knowledge of her love. She owed herself that much. "Okay, let's do it!"  
  
The next evening Faith gathered up Giles, Xander, Andrew, Willow and Dawn. She convinced them all that they were to go out and have some fun. They hadn't had any real fun since everything had happened. They all wondered where Buffy was, but Faith assured them that she was out running a few errands, and would meet  
  
them at The Ring. The Ring was a cozy little Karaoke bar down the street. Giles especially was intrigued. He missed singing, although was loathe to do much in front of this present company. Getting caught by them at the Espresso Pump had been mortifying enough!  
  
It was pretty quiet on the weeknight, and the place was only about a third full. Faith found them a center table, and they had just started to look at the menus when the lights dimmed.  
  
"Hey, that's Buffy!" a shocked Xander blurted. They all put down the menus and gaped at Buffy on center stage.  
  
She looked nervous, but resolved. Faith gave her a small smile, and Buffy smiled back before looking at Giles. "This song is dedicated to Rupert." She said, and then the music softly began.  
  
He couldn't take his eyes off of her, and his heart almost stopped as she began to sing to him.  
  
"Your love is better than ice cream  
  
better than anything else that I've tried  
  
and your love is better than ice cream  
  
everyone here know how to fight"  
  
Giles mouth went dry. She had said just yesterday that NOTHING was better than ice cream. Yet here she was, singing that his love was better than ice cream?  
  
"and it's a long way down  
  
it's a long way down  
  
it's a long way down to the place  
  
where we started from  
  
Your love is better than chocolate  
  
better than anything else that I've tried  
  
oh love is better than chocolate  
  
everyone here knows how to cry  
  
it's a long way down  
  
it's a long way down  
  
it's a long way down to the place  
  
where we started from..."  
  
Tears were softly falling down Buffy's face as she finished the song. There was hardly a dry eye in the house. When the music stopped, you could hear a pin drop.  
  
Buffy closed her eyes and whispered into the microphone, "I love you, Rupert. I'm in love with you, Rupert." When she opened her eyes he stood before her. Then he pulled her into his arms, hugging her close, before placing his lips onto hers.  
  
The patrons in The Ring all jumped to their feet with applause. Faith yelled and whistled the loudest. Willow and Xander elbowed each other, both saying how "it's about time." Andrew and Dawn just gaped.  
  
Giles finally broke the kiss, and looked deeply in her eyes. "I love you too, Buffy." She smiled, and kissed him back.  
  
The End 


End file.
